GED Practice Test Online with Example GED Practice Test Questions

Getting ready to take the General Educational Development (GED) exam? Studying official practice questions is an essential part of being prepared for test day. Read on to learn where you can find GED practice tests online.

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Preparing for the GED

The GED exam is intended for adults who haven't earned a high school diploma. Students who pass the series of tests earn an equivalency credential that, according to the American Council on Education (ACE), is accepted by 96% of employers and 95% of postsecondary institutions in lieu of a diploma (www.acenet.edu).

The exam is designed to measure the knowledge and skills acquired during a normal course of high school study. It is divided into five subject areas:

Language arts: reading

Language arts: writing

Mathematics

Science

Social studies

Regardless of your previous educational experience, it is important to study for this rigorous battery of tests. There are many study options available, ranging from campus-based classes to books and videos for home studying. One thing that almost all test preparation programs have in common, however, is taking at least one practice test.

Building your study routine around practice exams and questions from official past exams will help expose you to the specific types of questions and information that you will find on the test. Furthermore, practices tests can help you become familiar with the format of the GED, which will help you feel more confident and prepared on test day.

Online GED Practice Tests

Online practice tests are an invaluable resource for self-learners and for those seeking to augment a test preparation class with some extra studying. Here are a few free sources for complete online practice tests:

GEDpractice.com

This site is run by Steck-Vaughn, an education publishing company that makes test practice materials. They provide a free GED practice test on www.GEDpractice.com and offer feedback on incorrect questions.

PBS LiteracyLink

The Public Broadcasting Station (PBS) has teamed up with Kentucky Education Television and the National Center on Adult Literacy to offer LiteracyLink at www.pbs.org/literacy. The site includes a number of free adult education resources, including a GED practice test and other GED preparation materials.

ACE GED Preparation

The American Council on Education designs and monitors the national GED program. Although test taking and preparation centers are managed by states and other local institutions, ACE does offer some preparation materials on their website at www.acenet.edu.

Rather than offer a full practice test on the ACE site, the organization directs test takers to GEDpractice.com. However, students can find additional sample questions for each subject area by visiting the 'GED Testing Service' section of the ACE website and following the 'Test Takers' and 'Prepare' links.

Sample GED Test Questions

Below are the types of questions you may find in each section of the GED exam. Visit the sites above to see full, official practice test questions.

Language Arts: Reading

The reading section consists of multiple choice questions intended to measure your ability to understand and interpret various types of texts. Test takers will typically be asked to read a piece of writing and answer a series of questions regarding the text. About 75% of the questions are on literary works such as poetry or prose fiction and the rest focus on non-fiction prose, critical reviews and workplace documents such as office communications.

Language Arts: Writing

There are two sections in the GED writing test. The first consists of multiple choice questions that are designed to measure your ability to revise and edit basic texts. The second is an essay on a general topic that measures your ability to write on a deadline and correct your own mistakes. Test takers typically have 45 minutes to complete the essay section.

Mathematics

The GED math test is also separated into two parts. Test takers are only allowed to use a calculator for the first part. The second part is intended to measure estimation and mental math skills. A formulas page is provided during the math test, which covers four major areas: Measurement and geometry, number operations and number sense, algebra, functions and patterns, and data analysis, statistics and probability.

Science

The GED science test consists of 50 multiple choice questions in three areas: Life sciences, earth and space science and physical sciences, such as physics and chemistry. The test does not require advanced science knowledge. Instead, it is designed to test your ability to understand and apply information that is either given in the test itself or learned through common life experience.

Social Studies

The fifth and final section of the GED exam covers this broad category with 50 multiple choice questions from the following subject areas: geography, civics and government, economics and history. Most of the social studies test consists of short texts followed by a series of questions that measure your understanding of the information provided.